Town Square

Editorial: Save Canada College housing

The Woodside Town Council holds the key to a project that will bring much-needed housing to some staff and faculty members at Canada College, which is perched on a hill straddling Woodside and Redwood City.

You say "...it is difficult to imagine a more suitable project for the college, which can build the units at a rock-bottom price by using its own land, employing tax-exempt financing, and avoiding property taxes thanks to the exemption for higher education. And, there is no profit motive in this project."

I say that this project and others which provide below market rent to categories of employees which are deemed to be more important than others is unethical.

All men are created equal. What about equal opportunity?

Subsidized housing for such employees should be included in their total compensation package, a figure which is rarely disclosed by public agencies. We need full disclosure of ALL such expenditures.

And, why should property tax exemptions apply to these facilities? Who pays for the services these properties require?

A home is a home is a home! We don't need special treatment for housing.